"A Hard Place" the story of combat operations in South Vietnam with the Platoon leader and men of a small unit known as a Mobile Reaction of "Mike Force." They were based out of the sprawling base camp on the coast of South Vietnam, home to the 23rd Infantry Division, in Chu-Lai. Their missions were conducted all over the northern provinces dubbed by the military as 1st Combat Tactical Zone (1CTZ).
They were both recon and striker unit, sometimes just looking, sometimes attacking and sometimes being attacked. Sometimes they were sent to reinforce a small camp or firebase. Life was either base camp boring or "boonie rat" intense.
Often assigned missions to look for and capture specific targets. All of their missions were both classified and clandestine. Even their existence was denied. As much as possible their movement were hidden or camouflaged within larger unit operations.
Most of their operations were conducted without back-up or support readily available. They were required to survive on their bush skills, to adapt, over come, improvise or if that failed E&E (escape and evade) back to pick-up or rendezvous point.
This story is about serving in Vietnam as a professional soldier in a "Special Operations" unit. The "other" Army is South Vietnam, Republic of A HARD PLACE.